Definition of figuralnext
as in figurative
expressing one thing in terms normally used for another "a candidate running for office" is just a figural expression

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of figural Display of a walking staff with a figural head and wooden ladles reveal a history of carving among the cultures Lewis was raised in. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 Feb. 2026 However, giving in to January’s grayness — both literal and figural — is not the only option. Morayo Ogunbayo, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026 The figural birds are crafted in platinum and 18-karat gold with gemstones — appearing to perch upon the wearer. Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2025 Austria, Germany, and Japan became famous for exporting figural bulbs. IEEE Spectrum, 3 Dec. 2021 See All Example Sentences for figural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for figural
Adjective
  • Susi Singer’s figurative candlestick has style and sass that owes at least partly to its earthenware origins, favored at the Werkstätte for its affordability over porcelain, but much less capable of refined shapes.
    Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Clear non-starters with Ellison and Para execs, the agenda points also reflect the wide figurative and literal distance between the AGs, their lawsuit partners the WGA and the Melrose lot.
    Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Lush layers of melody and instrumentation submerges the listener in both metaphoric thought and shifting moods.
    Lina Lecaro, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026
  • These forces could be imagined as two beings and, by metaphoric extension, as male and female.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Nominal damages are a small symbolic sum of money awarded when a legal right is violated.
    Jack Harvel August 26, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Cadet will work with architect Rodney Leon, who is also of Haitian descent, and who will advise on the interpretive writing and symbolic elements of the statue and its lighting and siting.
    Adam Harrington, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Figural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/figural. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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